The Vietnamese government has just approved the construction of the country's 1st-ever wafer fabrication plant. It's an ambitious project with a total investment of ~$500M, and construction is expected to be completed by 2030. Vietnam also aims to become one of the world's leading semiconductor nations between 2040 and 2050. TrendForce reports that the facility will focus on producing specialized ICs for high-tech applications like AI, defense tech, and more. It has some serious financial backing with the local government pledging to cover up to 30% of the cost, plus tax incentives.  --  Phase 1 calls for establishing at least 100 chip design companies, one manufacturing plant, and 10 packaging/testing facilities by 2030. --  Phase 2 will expand that footprint massively to 200 design firms, two fabs, and 15 packaging/testing sites in the 2030-2040 timeframe. --  Phase 3 aims to increase these numbers to 300 design houses, three manufacturing plants, 20 packaging/testing facilities, and achieve revenue targets exceeding $100 billion annually by 2050.  Vietnam appears intent on an accelerated approach, reportedly aiming to leverage foreign investment and partnerships with domestic tech companies like Viettel. It will use these to rapidly scale up its semiconductor capabilities across the entire supply chain. The country already hosts nearly 175 foreign semiconductor projects, collectively worth almost $12 billion, even as they are primarily focused on the packaging and testing segments.

Sheryl Sandberg, the legendary COO in charge of Meta, Satya Nadella - CEO of Microsoft, Mitt Romney, US Presidential Candidate, and John Legend, the Grammy award-winning musician. They all share one particular thing in common with other highly successful people: They all worked for one of these three consulting firms: McKinsey, BCG or Bain. But what few know is that these consulting firms are NOT creating positive value for our society or the economy. Some of the "sinister methods" associated with McKinsey, BCG, and Bain & Co,:

1. Data Manipulation - Consulting firms often manipulate data to present findings that favor their clients’ interests, sometimes overlooking critical facts. e.g. McKinsey's work with Purdue Pharma involved providing strategies that downplayed the risks of OxyContin, contributing to the opioid crisis.

2. Conflicts of Interest - These firms frequently work with both companies and regulators, leading to potential conflicts of interest.

e.g., McKinsey advised both the U.S. government and pharmaceutical companies, raising questions about the integrity of their recommendations.

3. Secrecy and Lack of Transparency - The consulting process is often opaque, making it difficult for stakeholders to understand the basis of recommendations.  e.g., BCG’s work with various governments on sensitive matters often lacks public disclosure, limiting accountability.

4. Aggressive Cost-Cutting Strategies e.g., Consulting firms recommend drastic cost reductions that lead to layoffs and reduced quality of services. e.g., Bain’s strategies for companies like Sears led to significant job cuts and a decline in service quality, contributing to the company's eventual bankruptcy.

5. Creating Dependency - Firms design solutions that require ongoing consulting services, fostering a dependency on their expertise. e.g., BCG’s long-term engagements with clients often result in companies relying on them for strategic direction rather than developing internal capabilities.

6. Exploiting Regulatory Gaps - Consulting firms sometimes exploit regulatory loopholes to benefit their clients at the expense of broader societal interests. e.g., McKinsey’s role in advising companies on tax avoidance strategies has drawn criticism for undermining public finances.

7. Crisis Management and Reputation Laundering - Firms are hired to manage crises, often helping companies to restore their reputations without addressing underlying issues. e.g., After the fallout from the opioid crisis, McKinsey was involved in helping Purdue Pharma rebrand and mitigate reputational damage.

8. Influencing Policy - Consulting firms often engage in lobbying and influencing policy decisions that align with their clients’ interests.

e.g., BCG has been involved in advising governments on healthcare policies that favor pharmaceutical companies, raising ethical concerns.

9. Brain Drain - Talented professionals leave critical sectors to join consulting firms, leading to a loss of expertise in vital areas.

e.g., Many skilled individuals from public health and education sectors have joined consulting firms, impacting innovation and solutions in those fields.

10. Excessive Focus on Short-Term Gains - Consulting strategies often prioritize immediate financial returns over long-term sustainability. e.g., Bain's influence on companies like Toys "R" Us focused on short-term profitability, which contributed to its eventual downfall  -- The methods employed by McKinsey, BCG, and Bain & Co raise significant ethical concerns and have real-world implications that can affect industries, economies, and communities. These firms' influence on corporate and public policy underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability in their practices.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is reportedly working to make sure the chip maker has a secure foundation in case the demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) systems slows down. The AI boom has made Nvidia a multitrillion-dollar company and Huang the world’s 15th-wealthiest person. At the same time, Huang is aware that tech infrastructure companies’ products can become commodities and that there is a history of the industry experiencing booms and busts, according to the report.Nvidia is already seeing competitors try to undercut its price, customers try to build their own chips, tariffs cause complications and national security concerns threaten sales to China.. In addition, the recent debut of an AI model from DeepSeek  that claimed to be as powerful as its competitors while costing much less, led to concerns that the AI boom has peaked. After the debut of that model, Nvidia experienced the biggest single-day drop in market ever seen by a company: almost $600 B. With Nvidia’s annual conference set to be held next week, it is expected that Huang will highlight the company’s wide-ranging efforts to find “the next frontier in AI,” according to the report. The company aims to build not only chips but also software that will deliver benefits in a variety of industries and encourage other companies to continue making large investments in AI. The Bloomberg report came after a Feb. 26 earnings call in which Huang said that sales of the company’s most advanced chip architecture hit a record in Q4 2024 and that these results were a harbinger of even more demand ahead because the AI era has just begun. 

Silicon Valley is bullish on AI agents. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said agents will “join the workforce” this year. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella predicted that agents will replace certain knowledge work. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that Salesforce’s goal is to be “the number one provider of digital labor in the world” via the company’s various “agentic” services. But no one can seem to agree on what an AI agent is, exactly. In the last few years, the tech industry has boldly proclaimed that AI “agents” — the latest buzzword — are going to change everything. In the same way that AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT gave us new ways to surface information, agents will fundamentally change how we approach work, claim CEOs like Altman and Nadella. “Without a standardized definition, at least within an organization, it becomes challenging to benchmark performance and ensure consistent outcomes,” Rowan said. “This can result in varied interpretations of what AI agents should deliver, potentially complicating project goals and results. Ultimately, while the flexibility can drive creative solutions, a more standardized understanding would help enterprises better navigate the AI agent landscape and maximize their investments.”  Unfortunately, if the unraveling of the term “AI” is any indication, it seems unlikely the industry will coalesce around one definition of “agent” anytime soon — if ever.

As US President Donald Trump escalates a trade war with the European Union – most recently by threatening a 200% tariff on wine and champagne – Europeans are taking matters into their own hands by starting a Boycott of US goods  --- “Tired of financing American imperialism? Take action,” reads the description of a Facebook group started in France that encourages members to support the French and EU economies by refusing to buy products made in the United States. The Boycott USA: Buy French and European! group was created on February 28 and has already amassed more than 20,000 followers sharing tips on how to replace popular US brands such as McDonalds, Levi’s and WhatsApp with local equivalents. Across northern Europe, similar grassroots movements are popping up.

European consumers are already likely to face price hikes due to tariffs worth $28 billion announced by the EU in response to US tariffs of 25 percent on steel and aluminium imports, which came into effect on Wednesday. EU Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU “deeply regretted” implementing the tariffs as “they are bad for business, and even worse for consumers”. Matching US tariffs – as Canada and China have done – “might be the only way to bring the US to a negotiating table” when dealing with a leader like Trump, who favours an aggressive, impromptu approach over the rule-based multilateral trading system that usually informs trade practices. In response to the EU tariffs, the US president pledged on Thursday to introduce a 200% tariff on wine and alcoholic drinks if the EU did not lift its tariff on US whisky. “Even more reason to boycott things made in the USA,” wrote one French boycotter. For many, rejecting US products is a way to show opposition to Trump’s politics, rather than to the U.S. itself. “I travel to the Unites States one or two times a year, and I’ve cancelled my trips in May and October,” wrote another. “I’ll go back in a few years. This year I’m planning to go to Canada.”

Burn-Jeng Lin, the former VP of R&D at TSMC, is leading a team at a university in Taiwan focused on advancing subnanometer EUV research.

The presentation is a collection of my contemplations and reflections on being a successful Corporate Intrapreneur, Change Agent, and Innovation Program Manager.    --  What to do, What not to do and of course, the results achieved could not be presented at the time but ended up being $212.5M in ROI for Intel Corporation over a 2.5-year training deployment period. That ROI would NOT have been clawed back had it not been for my Tenacious PM Skill Set. It was also brought to my attention that I was recognized by the Executive leadership of Intel for my being a Rainmaker. A subject for another time, perhaps.  -- This presentation was presented at the MATRIZ conference in 2006. I was obviously to present but could not at the last minute, and had Amir Roggel (Intel Principal Engineer) present on my behalf.

With geopolitical pressures intensifying rapidly after Trump's inauguration as President of the US, TSMC announced on March 4, 2025, that it would invest an additional US$100 billion in the US. However, this new investment plan still tests the Trump administration's ability to address issues related to factory construction and talent shortages. As TSMC expands its investments in the US, the allocation of resources towards the US will likely become unavoidable. Therefore, further tracking of arrangements in Taiwan and other overseas investments will be necessary. Nevertheless, Chen pointed out that TSMC has stated that the mass production of the most advanced processes requires close integration with R&D and Taiwan remains the global headquarters for TSMC's R&D; thus, the planning for prioritizing mass production of advanced processes in Taiwan should remain unchanged.

Although Fab 21 P2 is still under construction, its timeline has also been delayed compared to initial schedules. Meanwhile, Fab 21 P3 is expected to be completed before 2030, with an estimated investment of US$65 billion across the three advanced fabs in the US.

TSMC, on March 4, 2025, further announced increased investments in the US and in addition to the originally planned three advanced process fabs, TSMC will add three more fabs, two advanced packaging plants, and one R&D center. Consequently, total investments in the US will rise to US$165 billion.

Chen noted that TSMC's announcement of increased investment in the US represents the largest single foreign direct investment (FDI) project in the country to date. The content of this investment is expected to meet Trump's demand for strengthening semiconductor manufacturing in the US, benefiting local economic development and job creation. This move reflects TSMC's strategic balance between investment needs and geopolitical requirements.

However, Chen believes that the progression of TSMC's investment plan in Arizona has highlighted numerous challenges faced during the construction period. This newly added investment plan will require 40,000 construction workers over the next four years, along with a rising demand for researchers and equipment engineers at the fab.

These factors are crucial for TSMC's successful implementation of its US investments and will test how the Trump administration can assist TSMC in expanding advanced processes and establishing advanced packaging technologies and production capabilities.

Where to Begin - For CEOs looking to make bold but calculated bets, here’s how we can rethink innovation to avoid the trap of trend-chasing and find your true transformation opportunities: 

(1) Start with Diagnosing the Problem. What is the single biggest pain point for your customers, operations or design teams? That’s where your innovation efforts need to focus. Don’t be afraid to tackle challenges that seem “boring”—those are often where the untapped value lives.

(2) Go deep, NOT wide. Don’t spread your resources thin by trying to cover every possible trend. e.g. Amazon and JPMorgan, placing strategic, deliberate bets that address specific, critical needs within the business of making $ for the enterprise.

(3) Measure what Matters: Success metrics should be tied to the business impact of solving real problems. Costs saved, revenue gained, and efficiency improved are metrics that matter far more than clicks on your press release.

If Apple had focused less on rushing into AI and more on where their ecosystem lacks innovation, would they dominate the AI conversation today? If Meta had taken a fraction of its metaverse budget and aimed it at tangible improvements in the user experience, would their pivot to AI even be necessary?

The lesson is clear. Bold transformations and innovation happen when leaders focus less on spectacle and more on sustained impact.

Yes, Chinese foundries can knock out less sophisticated chips with fewer transistors. Through techniques such as double and quadruple patterning, they might even be able to produce ICs with transistor measurements of just 7 nm's. SMIC, China's best-known foundry, appeared to have made one for the Mate 60 Pro, a Huawei smartphone released in 2023. In layman's terms, EUV works by firing a concentrated beam of light off the smoothest mirrors in the world and onto a silicon wafer, where it etches complex circuit designs like an Antman scribe. It uses a wavelength measuring just 13.5 nm, compared with the 193 nm of deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV), its predecessor. The difference is like that between a fat marker and a thin ballpoint to a fine artist.  According to various reports China's Huawei, develped an EUV system called laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP) technology that's been going through tests at a Huawei facility in Dongguan. One report says it has been able to generate the 13.5-nanometer wavelength by "vaporizing tin between electrodes and converting it to plasma via high-voltage discharge, where electron-ion collisions produce the required wavelength."  "It's a pretty cool technique because it's actually simpler than what ASML does," said Earl Lum, a IC expert at EJL Wireless Research. "It could be cheaper to make the machine because of the strategy that ASML had to use."  Trials do not mean a Chinese flavor of EUV is close to commercial deployment, of course, and a few press reports that leave many questions unanswered must be treated with a generous dose of skepticism. ASML's share price fell 7% on March 10, days after the reports about China's apparent EUV breakthrough. But this may have been linked to more general concerns about tariffs and their economic impact. Other chip stocks also suffered.

New Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan will receive total compensation of $1 million in salary and ~$66 million in stock options and grants vesting over the coming years.  Tan was named as the CEO of Intel this week, spurring hopes that the EDA tool industry veteran can turn around the struggling semiconductor company. Intel shares are up nearly 20% so far in 2025, and most of those gains came this week, following Tan’s appointment. He starts next week.  Tan will receive $1 million in salary, + an annual bonus worth $2 million.  In total, Tan’s package has ~ $66 million in long-term equity awards and options in addition to salary, bonuses, and legal expenses. If Intel goes through a change of control, Tan could be eligible for accelerated vesting, according to the filing. “Lip-Bu’s compensation reflects his experience and credentials as an accomplished technology leader with deep industry experience and is market competitive,” Intel said in email. “The vast majority of his compensation is equity-based and tied to long-term shareholder value creation.” Separately, Tan agreed to purchase $25 million in Intel shares and hold them in order to be eligible for the grants and bonuses.

GlobalFoundries is exploring manufacturing partnerships in China to meet the rising demand for localized semiconductor production, particularly in the automotive sector. This move is part of GlobalFoundries' strategy to enhance its foundry business in Asia, with new leadership appointed to drive growth in the region The company plans to expand its presence in China further, with potential collaborations and investments in semiconductor manufacturing.

GlobalFoundries faces several challenges in its partnerships in China, including: * Trade Restrictions: Ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China may lead to restrictions on technology transfer and collaboration. * Regulatory Compliance: Navigating the complex regulatory environment in China can be challenging, particularly with U.S. export controls.  * IP Theft Concerns: There are significant concerns about the protection of intellectual property when collaborating with Chinese firms. * Technology Transfer: Partnerships may require sharing sensitive technology, increasing the risk of IP loss. * Local Competitors: Chinese semiconductor companies are rapidly advancing and may pose significant competition to GlobalFoundries. * Government Support: The Chinese government heavily invests in local firms, giving them an advantage. * Global Supply Chain Issues: Ongoing global supply chain disruptions can affect the availability of materials and components needed for manufacturing. * Dependence on External Suppliers: Relying on suppliers outside of China can complicate operations. * Business Practices: Differences in business practices and corporate culture can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. * Management Challenges: Integrating operations and aligning goals with local partners can be complex. * Changing Regulations: The regulatory landscape in China can change rapidly, impacting operational strategies. * Environmental Regulations: Compliance with local environmental standards can pose additional challenges. In Conclusion - Navigating these challenges requires strategic planning, strong local partnerships, and a deep understanding of the Chinese market dynamics.

China plans to issue guidance to encourage the use of open-source RISC-V chips nationwide for the first time, two sources briefed on the matter said, as Beijing accelerates efforts to curb the country's dependence on Western-owned technology.  The policy guidance on boosting the use of RISC-V chips could be released as soon as this month, although the final date could change. It is being drafted jointly by 8 government bodies, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the China National Intellectual Property Administration. RISC-V is an open-source technology used to design a range of less-sophisticated ICs, from those in smartphones to CPUs for AI servers. It competes globally with proprietary and more commonly used chip architecture technology including x86, dominated by U.S. firms Intel and AMD and Arm, developed by SoftBank Group-owned Arm Holdings. In China, state entities and research institutes have eagerly embraced RISC-V in recent years, seeing it as geopolitically neutral. Chinese chip designers are attracted by its lower costs, but the government has yet to mention it in policy.

Beijing, which unlike America’s close partners and neighbors has been locked in a trade and tech war with the U.S. for years, is taking a different approach to Trump in his 2nd term, making it clear that any negotiations should be conducted on equal footing. China’s leaders say they are open to talks, but they also made preparations for the higher U.S. tariffs, which have risen 20% since Trump took office 7 weeks ago. Intent on not being caught off guard as they were during Trump’s 1st term, the Chinese were ready with retaliatory measures — imposing their own taxes this past week on key U.S. farm imports and more. After the U.S. imposed another 10% tariff, on top of the 10% imposed on Feb. 4, the Chinese foreign ministry uttered its sharpest retort yet: “If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”

The harsh rhetoric echoed similar comments in 2018, when Trump launched his first trade war with China and it scrambled to line up tit-for-tat actions. Beijing’s leaders have since developed a toolkit of tariffs, import curbs, export controls, sanctions, regulatory reviews and measures to limit companies from doing business in China.

All are designed to inflict pain on the U.S. economy and businesses in response to the American measures. That allowed the Chinese government to react swiftly to Trump’s recent across-the-board doubling of new tariffs on Chinese goods by rolling out a basket of retaliatory measures, including taxing many American farm goods at up to 15%, suspending U.S. lumber imports and blacklisting 15 U.S. companies. Trump’s 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports go into effect 

In a rapid response to the U.S’ latest round of sanctions on its semiconductor industry, China has launched a countermeasure, calling for a boycott of American suppliers. This move marks another chapter in the ongoing tech war between the 2 global powers, as China seeks to assert its independence in semiconductor production and shield its companies from the effects of increasing international pressure.  A day after the U.S. imposed the 3rd wave of restrictions on semiconductor exports to China, 4 major Chinese industry groups took immediate action, representing sectors such as the internet, automotive, and semiconductor industries, issuing a joint statement urging their members to avoid purchasing ICs from American companies like Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Intel. This message was clear: “Be cautious” when sourcing from U.S. suppliers. The directive is not just a call to avoid U.S. products but a call for local companies to increase their reliance on domestic sources and explore semiconductor solutions from other countries. While the immediate effects of these sanctions remain to be seen, the growing divide between the U.S. and China in the tech sector is a clear signal of the shifting balance of power in global technology. As China continues to invest in its own capabilities, the impact of these sanctions may diminish over time, but they will certainly continue to fuel the fire of this ongoing tech cold war.

In Q4 2024, TSMC’s revenue surged to $26.85 billion, while Samsung’s earnings dipped; it’s market share for the quarter is currently at 8.1%  For instance, Qualcomm is once again said to exclusively place orders with TSMC, this time leveraging its 3rd-gen 3nm ‘N3P’ process node tech for its upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2. As for revenue, TSMC generated $26.85 billion in Q4 2024, resulting in a 14.1& increase. Sadly, Samsung only made $3.26 billion during the same period, dropping by 1.4%. In 3rd place, we have SMIC, China’s largest IC firm, which is attempting to overtake Samsung, but unless it has access to ‘state of the art’ EUV machinery, its progress can only go so far. As lucrative customers continue to place heaps of chip orders with TSMC for its cutting-edge nodes and the company’s ability to deliver newer-generation architecture without so much as facing yield difficulties, Samsung is undoubtedly going to be on the receiving end of its rival’s growth. In Q4 2024, TSMC cemented its position as the top foundry in the world, as its market share rose to new heights in the latest quarter. As for Samsung, it is left picking up the crumbs, with its share dropping to single-digit levels. Data shared TrendForce states that TSMC’s Q4 2024 market share was 67.1%, up 2.4 % points compared to Q3 2024.  Samsung did not witness any progress during this period, as its market share dropped from 9.1% to 8.1%. This creates a disparity of 59% points, with the gap widening further compared to the 3rd quarter of 2024, where it was 55.6 % points.

TSMC continues to enjoy its success as it has been able to meet demand for a multitude of applications. This includes AI servers, top-end smartphone SoCs, and newer PC platforms, all of which encouraged an increase in wafer shipments. As for Samsung, even though it has made progress with its 2nm GAA node by achieving a 30 percent yield during the trial production phase, its revenue experienced a slump because orders for its advanced manufacturing processes could not offset the losses caused by a decline in orders from key customers.

As US President Donald Trump marks the first month of his second term in office, the reforms and fiscal austerity measures of Trump 2.0 have exceeded expectations compared to his campaign promises. Whether it is the various cuts proposed by the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) led by Elon Musk or the recently passed tax reduction and spending cut bill that narrowly cleared the House of Representatives, the pace of these initiatives is astonishing, and their impact is profound.

U.S. President Trump’s new tariffs are estimated to cost North America $50B and have ripple effects across the tech sector.  How will these tariffs affect big tech and consumers?  -- Higher prices for hardware and cloud servicesThe new tariffs are expected to increase prices across the tech sector, affecting everything from smartphones and laptops to cloud storage and AI computing power.The U.S. relies on China and Taiwan for approximately 80% of its foundry capacity for 20-45nm chips and about 70% for 50-180nm chips, according to industry research. Tech firms may attempt to shift sourcing to tariff-free countries like India and Vietnam, but many will pass the additional costs to consumers instead.Manufacturers of consumer electronics such as laptops and smartphones may also be affected if they import different components from or assemble their products in tariffed countries. Indeed, Apple primarily manufactures its iPhones in China, so the handsets may see a price hike in the U.S.  -- Data centers and AI infrastructure face higher costs    -- The tariffs on aluminium and steel will sting data centre companies, too, as these materials are essential for server racks, cooling systems, and other infrastructure, driving up construction and equipment costs.  The additional expenditure and potential supply chain disruption may be reflected in cloud storage prices from the likes of AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, as well as SaaS and AI companies that utilise large-scale data processing. It could also delay plans to build new data centers that companies have earmarked to meet the growing demand for AI. Nevertheless, the intention is to reduce dependence on foreign adversaries, and while this may result in higher prices for consumers in the short term, it also drives investment in domestic industries and boosts supply chain resilience.

Qualcomm's next-generation flagship processor may not only be of interest for high-end laptops but also for desktop computers, as the Snapdragon X2 Elite will not only support dedicated graphics chips but will also be equipped with 18 processor cores. Initial information about the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite was leaked last September, including the codename "Project Glymur" and the model number "SC8480XP". Winfuture has now got its hands on more information about a high-end version of the Snapdragon X2 Elite.

Accordingly, Qualcomm is said to be installing 18 ARM-based processor cores, which are to be internally developed next-gen "Oryon" cores. At least one version of the chip has 48 GB of RAM and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. What's exciting is that the Snapdragon X2 Elite can be combined with a dedicated graphics card, which may even make the chip interesting for desktop computers and gaming laptops. The first-generation Snapdragon X Elite impressed with its strong processor performance, but the integrated GPU was hardly able to offer usable gaming performance. No further details on the specifications of the Snapdragon X2 Elite are known so far, and Winfuture expects it to be more widely available in 2026 at the earliest. What is certain is that it is an SiP, i.e., a "system in package", meaning that the RAM is likely to be integrated directly into the chip, similar to Intel Lunar Lake or the Apple M4.